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Agenda

Navigate Political & Economic Uncertainty

On August 5–6, 2025, Tambellini’s 2025 Future Campus™ Summit, “Navigating the Ambiguity,” will bring together higher education leaders who are navigating the complexities of political and economic uncertainty for two impactful days of meaningful peer exchange and scenario-based dialogue. This executive retreat, in the heart of New York City, is curated to provide unparalleled opportunities for cross-functional, cross-institutional, and cross-sector collaboration.

August 5–6, 2025

New York, NY

Summit Agenda At-a-Glance

August 4
August 5
August 6

Breakfast

Breakfast

Registration
& Breakfast

7:30–8:30 a.m. 

Breakfast

Breakfast, Networking
& Partner Showcase

7:30–8:30 a.m. 

Morning

Breakfast

Opening Keynote
& Sessions

8:30 a.m.–12:15 p.m.

Breakfast

Morning Keynote
& Sessions

8:30–11:30 a.m.

Lunch

Lunch

Lunch & Awards

12:15–1:15 p.m.

Lunch

Lunch & Fireside Chat

11:30 a.m.–12:30 p.m.

Afternoon

Afternoon

Sessions
& Partner Showcase

1:15–5:15 p.m.

Afternoon

Sessions
& Closing Remarks

12:30–5:00 p.m.

Evening

Evening

Official Opener
& Reception

6:30-8:30 p.m.

Evening

Dinner on Your Own

after 5:30 p.m.

Evening

Space is Limited.

Two Days of Learning and Inspiration​

Join the Tambellini Group, the world’s leading higher education IT analyst firm, for this intimate, retreat-style event focused on building your institution’s future campus.

Presentations

Hear from higher education policy, industry, and market experts, including Arne Duncan, former US Secretary of Education, for insights into evolving political dynamics and their impacts on institutions.

Tabletop Exercises

Join higher education pioneers, analysts, and solution providers to delve into unprecedented challenges, including:

  • The effects of drastic research funding cuts.
  • Instability in student financial aid systems.
  • Growing pressure related to oversight and compliance.
  • Balancing shared governance and institutional autonomy.
  • Maintaining a safe and inclusive campus climate.
  • Managing cybersecurity threats.

Scenario Planning

Engage with experts, solution providers, and peers as you work to realize radical efficiency and agility in operations. Gain diverse perspectives while simulating potential outcomes from current and future policy changes and market conditions.

Pre-Summit: August 4

Networking reception to connect, relax, and kick off the Future Campus Summit. Heavy hors d’oeuvres and drinks will be served.

Day 1: August 5

Summit check-in and full breakfast buffet.

Tom Andriola, Vice Chancellor for Information Technology and Data & Chief Digital Officer, UC Irvine

Tom will lead a discussion with institution leaders who are newer in their roles, focusing on strategies for navigating the evolving challenges of higher education and building leadership agility in times of change.

Tom also welcomes 1:1 conversations to discuss leadership in times of change, trends shaping the future of higher education, and strategies for career growth.

Summit opening with an overview of the agenda, a look at the key themes, and setting the stage for meaningful conversations, thought leadership, and community building.

Tracy Dennis-Tiwary, PhD

Tracy A. Dennis-Tiwary, PhD, is a clinical psychologist, researcher, entrepreneur, and author of the book Future Tense: Why Anxiety is Good for You (Even Though it Feels Bad). She is a professor of psychology and neuroscience and Director of the Emotion Regulation Lab at The City University of New York. As Founder and CSO of Arcade Therapeutics, she translates neuroscience and cognitive therapy into game-based treatments for mental health. She has published over 100 scientific articles and delivered over 400 presentations at academic conferences and for corporate clients. She has been featured throughout the media, including the New York Times, Wall Street Journal, NPR, Netflix, and The Today Show, and is a regular contributor to publications such as the Washington Post Well+Being column, Psychology Today, and Inc. Magazine.

Sponsored by our Pinnacle and Premier sponsors.

This session will explore how higher education leaders can navigate the challenges of legislative interference, campus polarization, and evolving expectations—balancing shared governance, institutional autonomy, and the need for a safe, inclusive campus climate. Strategies will be discussed to protect the institution’s mission and academic freedom while navigating external pressures, preserving institutional values, and fostering trust across the campus community.

Higher education finance, HR, and research operations are often siloed, manual, and reactive, slowing down strategic decisions, increasing compliance risks, and limiting the ability to attract top talent or secure long-term funding. Join us to explore how modernizing these functions can unlock growth, improve agility, and support sustainable success.

The Tambellini Future Campus Award™ honors innovative higher education institutions making meaningful progress toward building a more sustainable, efficient, and inclusive future by leveraging emerging technologies to transform learning, administration, and campus life.

The 2025 awards celebrate institutions that have demonstrated radical agility—adapting to shifting conditions with speed and intention. This year’s honorees have shown how they’ve navigated uncertainty to deliver measurable impact on either learning outcomes and experience or operational efficiency, while staying focused on long-term institutional transformation.

As AI transforms higher education, leaders must guide their teams through uncertainty, addressing fears of job loss and cultural resistance while championing AI as a tool for growth, not replacement. This session will explore the leadership mindset and competencies required to build trust, bridge cultural divides, and foster an environment where human expertise and AI work together to drive strategic success.

Opportunity to schedule 30 minutes with industry thought leaders from leading technology partners.

Admitted students often face a disjointed experience as they transition from digital engagement to campus life—encountering disconnected touchpoints, access barriers, and inconsistent support. This session will explore strategies to align digital and in-person experiences, create seamless early touchpoints, and foster stronger engagement to reduce early student drop-off.

Engage with partners working at the intersection of technology, services, and institutional strategy. Ask questions, explore solutions, and discuss how these offerings can support your goals.

A guided session focused on restoring balance, reducing stress, and building resilience—designed for busy executives seeking practical strategies to support their well-being.

Enjoy an evening on your own in New York City.

Day 2: August 6

Time for networking and full breakfast buffet.

Engage with partners working at the intersection of technology, services, and institutional strategy. Ask questions, explore solutions, and discuss how these offerings can support your goals. 

Opportunity to schedule 30 minutes with industry thought leaders from leading technology partners.

Kick off day two with a brief reflection on key insights from day one and set the stage for the day’s discussions.

This session will explore the technologies, governance, and cross-campus collaboration needed to scale smart campus initiatives—balancing operational efficiency, compliance, and student trust. Discussion of how to assess infrastructure readiness, design a smart tech risk map, and identify high-impact use cases for predictive intelligence.

Sponsored by our Diamond sponsors.

Higher education leaders are under pressure to adapt, make tough decisions, and lead through uncertainty. In this session, we’ll explore how institutions can rethink operations, refocus teams on aligned initiatives, and use technology to drive agility and efficiency. Industry leaders will share real-world examples of transforming organizations under pressure, with practical insights on building a mindset that embraces change and unlocks new opportunities.

Arne Duncan, Former US Secretary of Education

Vicki Tambellini, Tambellini Group Founder and Senior Vice  President, MGT

Tom Andriola, Vice Chancellor for Information Technology and Data & Chief Digital Officer, UC Irvine, will lead a panel discussion of institutional leaders on what it takes to navigate today’s higher education landscape. Panelists will share insights on building agility, fostering resilience, and staying focused on mission in a time of rapid change.

Opportunity to schedule 30 minutes with industry thought leaders from leading technology partners.

Engage with partners working at the intersection of technology, services, and institutional strategy. Ask questions, explore solutions, and discuss how these offerings can support your goals.   

A guided session focused on restoring balance, reducing stress, and building resilience—designed for busy executives seeking practical strategies to support their well-being. 

As institutions face tightening federal budgets and potential cuts to research funding, this session will explore strategies to sustain research productivity, support faculty and graduate students, and preserve long-term innovation capacity. We’ll discuss approaches to diversify funding sources, strengthen institutional research infrastructure, and align research priorities with an evolving policy and funding environment.

Join us as we wrap up key takeaways from the retreat, discuss next steps for continuing the conversation, and explore how we can stay connected as a leadership community.

Keynote Speakers

Arne Duncan

Former Secretary of Education
US Department of Education
view bio
June 26 Opening Remarks

Tracy A. Dennis-Tiwary, PhD

Clinical Psychologist, Researcher, Entrepreneur, and Author
view bio
June 26 Keynote

Tom Andriola

Chief Digital Officer
UC Irvine
view bio
June 27 Opening Remarks

Tina Eliassi-Rad, PhD

Joseph E. Aoun Professor
Northeastern University
view bio
June 27 Opening Remarks

Katie Drummond

Global Editorial Director
WIRED
view bio
June 27 Keynote

Tina Eliassi-Rad, PhD

Joseph E. Aoun Professor
Northeastern University
view bio
June 27 Opening Remarks

Tambellini Speakers

Tambellini Analysts and Advisors have curated an exclusive event for transformational leaders after thousands of interactions with higher education institutions and using the most extensive AI market intelligence.

Michael Anderson

Senior Analyst
Tambellini Group
view bio

Alpha Hamadou Ibrahim, PhD

Vice President, Data, Analytics, and AI
Tambellini Group
view bio

Dave Kieffer

Principal Analyst
Tambellini Group
view bio

Serena Malhotra

Junior Analyst
Tambellini Group
view bio

Hampton Shive

Vice President, Research
Tambellini Group
view bio

Vicki Tambellini

CEO and Founder; Principal Analyst
Tambellini Group
view bio

Matt Winn, PhD

Senior Analyst
Tambellini Group
view bio

Jessica M. Thomas

Senior Analyst
Tambellini Group
view bio

Matt Winn, PhD

Senior Analyst
Tambellini Group
view bio

Guest Speakers

Sam Burgio

Chief Operating Officer
Jenzabar
view bio

Scott Campbell

University Registrar
The University of Chicago
view bio

Darren Catalano

CEO
HelioCampus
view bio

Ravneet Chadha

Strategic Advisor
East Point Consulting
view bio

Dave Crosser

Vice President of Client Experience and Product
Evisions
view bio

Chris Daugherty

Education Strategy Lead
Google Cloud
view bio

David Demers, PhD

Vice President, Product Strategy & Development
Drivestream
view bio

Christine Deacons, PhD

Head of Solutions
Pathify
view bio

Kurt Dorschel

Principal, Education and Research
Huron
view bio

Lauren Drakakis

IT Systems Architect
St. John’s University
view bio

Nicole Engelbert

Vice President of Product Strategy
Oracle
view bio

Bob Friday

Chief AI Officer
Juniper Networks
view bio

Danna Gianforte

Vice President, Global Services Innovation
Ellucian
view bio

Chris Hagan

Chief Technology Officer
Pathify
view bio

Mark Hampton, PhD

Executive Education Advisor
Amazon Web Services
view bio

Steve Harris

President and GM, Public Sector
Alteryx
view bio

Michael B. Hofherr

GM, Higher Education
Workday
view bio

Jared Johnson

Associate Vice President, Academic Technology and Customer Experience
The George Washington University
view bio

Sania Khan

Vice President, Experience Design and Innovation
Ellucian
view bio

Susan Miltenberger

Associate Vice President and CIO
Towson University
view bio

Chandler C. Morse

Vice President, Corporate Affairs
Workday
view bio

Jack Neill

Vice President, Product
HelioCampus
view bio

Simran Nirh

President
East Point Consulting
view bio

Nalyn Siripong

Senior Data Scientist
University of Pittsburgh
view bio

Melissa Smurdon

Executive Director of Financial Aid
Butler University
view bio

Vicki Wayne

Vice President of Client Services and Technical Partnerships
Evisions
view bio

Jules White, PhD

Senior Advisor to the Chancellor
Vanderbilt University
view bio

Les Zimmerman

VP of Product Development
Jenzabar
view bio

Les Zimmerman

VP of Product Development
Jenzabar
view bio

Les Zimmerman

VP of Product Development
Jenzabar
view bio

Space is Limited

Higher Education Institutions

peertelligent

Solution Providers & Investors

market insights
Keynote

Keynote June 17

Katie Drummond, Global Editorial Director, WIRED
Keynote

Opening Remarks

Ben Nelson, Founder and Board Member, Minerva University
Keynote

Disrupt or Build? The Innovation Ecology

Dr. Laura Huang, Distinguished Professor, Faculty Director of Women’s Entrepreneurship Initiative, Northeastern University; Author, Edge: Turning Adversity into Advantage
Keynote

Navigational Leadership in the Era of Augmented Intelligence

Tom Andriola, Vice Chancellor for Information Technology and Data, Chief Digital Officer, University of California, Irvine
Tom Andriola
Tom Andriola
Vice Chancellor for Information Technology and Data, Chief Digital Officer
University of California Irvine logo

Tom Andriola is UC Irvine’s Vice Chancellor for Information Technology and Data (ODIT) and Chief Digital Officer. His role is designed to ensure the strategic use of data and technology, drive interdisciplinary partnerships, and champion digital strategies that expand UC Irvine’s role as a leading research university, healthcare provider & community partner.

Andriola is a global business & technology leader with a broad array of experience in the public and private sector. Throughout his career, he has been an agent for change and disruptive innovation in the marketplace. During his tenure as Vice President & Chief Information Officer (CIO) for the University of California System, he created a platform to support the collaboration of 8,500 IT professionals across the University, launched a nationally-recognized IT Leadership Academy, and was integral in developing UC Health’s big data strategy, which led to the creation of the UC-wide clinical data warehouse representing 16 million patients.

Previous to his University experience, Andriola held technology and business executive roles with organizations such as Philips, Marconi PLC, Sapient and PriceWaterhouseCoopers. Eventually entering the healthcare industry and leading teams to develop solutions across the globe, including enabling the first national mammography program in Europe, introducing a virtual care solution for intensive care patients in India, and collaborating with Peking University and the China Association for Cardiologists to build its first clinical data repository of cardiology patients in China.

He remains active in the higher education and healthcare industries as an advocate for progress and equity utilizing technology and data, serving on the boards of OCHIN and Unizin. Andriola is also an advisor to various software startups, medical device, and life sciences companies, and maintains advisory relationships with UC Irvine’s Institute for Precision Health, UC Health’s Center for Data Driven Insights & Innovation, and with UC Davis’ Innovation Institute for Food and Health.

Andriola holds a bachelor’s degree from George Washington University, a master’s degree from the University of South Florida, and has completed the Stanford Executive MBA program.

See them at
Dr. Laura Huang
Laura Huang
Distinguished Professor | Faculty Director of Women's Entrepreneurship Initiative | Author of Edge: Turning Adversity into Advantage
book cover of EDGE: Turning Adversity into Advantage

Laura Huang is a Distinguished Professor of Management and Organizational Dynamics, who has held faculty positions at Harvard Business School and the Wharton School, University of Pennsylvania. She currently serves as the Faculty Director of the Women’s Entrepreneurship Initiative at Northeastern University, and is on the board of Wharton Alumni Angels and NJECC. Laura’s award-winning research examines the role of intuition and interpersonal relationships in entrepreneurship and in the workplace, and has been featured in the New York Times, the Financial Times, the Wall Street Journal, USA Today, and Forbes.

She is the international best-selling author of EDGE: Turning Adversity into Advantage, which was published by Portfolio: Penguin Random House—and she is also the creator and co-founder of Project EMplify, an initiative dedicated to addressing inequality and disadvantage for unserved and underprivileged K-12 communities through the principles of EDGE.

Laura was named one of the top 40 business school professors by Poets and Quants, and was a recipient of the 2020 Cozzarelli Prize given by the National Academy of Sciences. In 2021, she was named to the Global Thinker50 Radar list as one of the top thinkers with the potential to change the world of theory and practice.

Prior to her academic career, she held positions in investment banking, consulting, and management, for organizations such as Standard Chartered Bank, IBM Global Services, and Johnson & Johnson.

Laura holds an MS and BSE in electrical engineering, both from Duke University, an MBA from INSEAD, and a PhD from the University of California, Irvine.

See them at
Michael Bisson: Vice President of Student Product Strategy at Workday
Michael Bisson
Vice President, Student Product Strategy
Workday logo

Michael joined Workday in 2013 seeding the Student project team and contributing to its initial architecture and design. Michael led the Product Management team as they designed the core student product and facilitated a three-year customer design partner program. Today, Michael leads the Product Strategy team responsible for determining market fit, competitive market intelligence, and overall product direction. Prior to joining Workday, Michael worked 16 years at Peoplesoft and Oracle in support of the Campus Solutions product in Product Management, Development, and Support. Michael has committed his professional career to the improvement of higher education management through the design and development of Student Information Systems.

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